obscurepages's reviews
407 reviews

Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I FINISHED IT AAAAAAHHHH

Okay, first of all, this was entertaining. It might lack a bit more action or adrenaline, but it definitely did not lack drama πŸ˜‚ I was entertained all throughout. And while the book focused largely on the political aspects, I think love and humanity is at its core. Without spoiling too much of the book, I have to say that loving and being human was a big motivator for a lot of mistakes and decisions made by the characters. Love (whether it be toxic, wholesome, familial, romantic, guilt-based) fueled them to actβ€”to betray, to protect, to exact revenge. Laya, Duja, Imeria...these characters were so obviously flawed, passionate, and hurting. And I rooted for them anyway. Because they were compelling, they were tragic, they were real.

The plot was not too complicated (two families vying for the throne, one forbidden romance in the past, one forbidden romance in the present, a betrayal and revenge forming, magic and gods are also involved). However, it was a page-turner for me. Again, I think this is largely due to the characters and their drama. There was a lot of history and secrets to uncover, and reading the journey of each of the characters was fascinating. Sometimes I did feel like some plot and character details were lacking, which can be confusing at times, too. 

I also loved that there was queer rep in the book! Two of the main cast are bi and were in a sapphic relationship (which was a big part of the plot! Expect romance, tragedy, betrayals! Rhaenicent vibes!), and one minor character was ace! (the ace character happens to be my favorite, and it's a shame she didn't have her own chapters πŸ˜†)

I liked the precolonial Filipino setting. The writing of it was lush and rich, and I loved seeing bits and pieces of Filipino folklore and legends embedded into the world-building of this book. I do wish there was a bit more? Like maybe specific customs and food and tradition maybe? However, I know the author can't put everything in one book of course. So I liked it enough. I have to say though, southerners and capital people having a rivalry? That I can very much see in modern day Filipino society unfortunately πŸ˜… I've seen people from Manila (usually rich socialites) insult, look down on, and use harmful stereotypes against southern Filipinos (particularly Visayans [and I take offense too because my parents are from Visayas, we're Ilonggos]). It's this type of simple ignorance that divides modern day Filipinos. And to see this particular detail reflected in Black Salt Queen was definitely interesting. Maybe if there's a sequel, this will be explored more? Fingers crossed!

Anyway, this is it for now. I don't want to ramble too much or spoil too much. I'm part of a book tour and a longer review will be posted on my blog on my tour date!

Thank you so much to Bindery Books and Colored Pages Book Tours for sending an e-arc my way! This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Exact rating: 4 stars
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Magical Boy, Volume 1 by The Kao

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adventurous funny inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Humorous, campy, and so so good! πŸ˜‚

I didn't have a lot of expectations diving into this book, especially because I don't know too much about it. But wow this was a pleasant surprise.

Great art (I could see the anime-style kind of art, but it was still its own design). Love the story and what it teaches about queerness/gender identity and transitioning. Loved the plot and the world-building, I thought it was really exciting and reminiscent of those "chosen one" YA fantasy we love but it has a fresh take. The friendships and the characters in here were also so good! I'm a sucker for found family or the ragtag group of misfits kind of trope so I just love how "Team Magical Boy" came together πŸ˜†

My only gripes would be that sometimes it's hard to discern which scene or panel is next? Same with the dialogue πŸ˜… So it can get confusing sometimes. It also left us in a cliffhanger, which I feel conflicted about πŸ˜† Not that I don't like cliffhangers, but maybe I would have liked to see some character development for particular characters? (The mom, Pyper, even Max as the MC) But honestly, it's not that bad and I know there's already a Volume 2 so I'm really excited!

Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ
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The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio

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challenging funny mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Okay, let's start with that I liked πŸ˜†

- The art is gorgeous 
- Love the autistic and trans girl rep
- Love the focus on humanity

What I didn't like πŸ₯²

- there are weird time jumps?? I wish they were labeled properly or put into different chapters instead.
- Storytelling lacks a bit for me?
- Feels like the characterization is off sometimes? Like the characters' logic is weird/inconsistent (Lanie suggests sacrificing their bully, Val was against it. And then Val suggests killing their bully? Like what)
- I liked the ending enough, but there are some plot holes and unanswered questions for me πŸ˜…

Overall it was good and entertaining. But there were some plot holes and subplots I just couldn't get out of my mind πŸ˜… Like what's the point of adding them if there's no resolution or they won't get mentioned ever again.

It feels like a weak 3-stars for me. A shame because I really liked the art and the premise.

Read for Trans Rights Readathon 2025! πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ
The Dark Dimension by Gianluca Panniello, Manuela Razzi, Elisabetta Gnone

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adventurous challenging funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

You can tell that the girls are still only starting to bond with each other and form a chemistry. I definitely don't remember Cornelia being so antagonistic? impatient? lol. Still interesting though!
The Twelve Portals by Elisabetta Gnone

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funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I like that we're getting to know the girls a little bit here! Like the kind of people they are. World-building still gets a little confusing though, or because we don't have all the details yet and I think that's fine for now.

I still find it weird that their guardian form makes them look like older versions of themselves. And then we have Irma who transformed and went to a club and flirted with a guy older than her?? What in the πŸ˜­πŸ˜‚ I mean she's still 13, she's a kid. I don't think that's safe, nor is it significant to their powers/guardian selves. Like what does looking older and curvier really do when they're fighting or using their powers? I think it doesn't really add anything πŸ₯²
Halloween by Alessandro Barbucci, Elisabetta Gnone, Barbara Canepa

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Cleaned my cabinets and found my collection of W.I.T.C.H. comics 😭 I don't have the complete collection but I have about 30 issues. So I might just take another trip to nostalgia land and read this whole series for the first time (just like I did with Inuyasha mangas last year πŸ˜‚)

Okay so. First issue ever. The art is good. I remember just taking the time and tracing every character and trying to draw them when I was a kid πŸ˜‚ I definitely had a phase lol.

Storytelling-wise, I think it's a little disjointed. And a lot of info dump dear lord. As a result it can get a little confusing. Definitely interesting though, I love fantasy and world-building details so I'm looking forward to diving into the world-building of this one.

Also why do they transform to older teenage version of themselves when they transform and use magic? They're supposed to be 13 in this, but when they use powers they look like 16? Like what's the logic behind that πŸ˜­πŸ˜‚ When I was younger I didn't give it much thought. But being older now, I guess I just find that a little weird?

Hopefully the next few issues get better πŸ‘€
How We End by LM Juniper

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adventurous challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 Finally, after a month! This put me in a reading slump in February πŸ˜…

This was enjoyable and entertaining enough. My biggest issue is somehow it didn't have that "umph" that hooked me or made me obsessed. Like somehow it felt like everything was happening, but also nothing was happening at the same time. The plot and world-building were not as engaging or complex as I hoped they would be. I think I expected it to be more exciting or gripping as a reader, given that it is a zombie/apocalyptic story.

Now, I could have been fine with that. I mean, there were books that I liked where it's kind of confusing and not really plot-driven, but the characters still hook you in. I don't think that was the case for this book. Because while I liked the characters, I feel like the characterization still lacked and seemed like surface level? See I've been reading like half of the book, and I still couldn't care less about some of the characters. Even Jake as the main character felt weird sometimes (it was mentioned that he was a prepper, but it was so unbelievable for me unfortunately πŸ˜…) Anyway, yeah it wasn't until close to the end that I got an inkling of backstory from some of them and deeper personality traits.

I think the trans rep was good. It was very subtle though. But I liked that Jake's trans journey was highlighted in one part of the book and showed that not every trans experience is the same.

I think that's it for me really. Entertaining enough, but felt standard and conventional for the most part.

(Read for the Indie Ink Awards 2024!)
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The Boy & the Bindi by Vivek Shraya

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informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was so cute?!? Maybe I need to read more children's books 😭

This was such a short read, but also so poignant. I think for such a simple and short book, it was still really successful in delivering the message (breaking gender stereotypes and fostering self confidence) and engaging with the audience no matter the age.
Semantic Error, Vol. 1 by Angy, Soori Jeo

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was okay! It was funny and entertaining enough, but this is just the first volume so there wasn't much plot or impact yet. I've also never watched the kdrama (if I'm not mistaken, there is a kdrama adaptation?) Nevertheless, I still had fun reading it πŸ˜† I look forward to reading the second one!

(Also is it me or Sangwoo is neurodivergent-coded? like pls, just say it and make it canon πŸ₯ΉπŸ™)
The Ribbon Skirt by Cameron Mukwa

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

This was short and sweet and I really enjoyed it! 

I loved the highlight on two-spirit identity and Indigenous culture. I think this book did a great job showing how they view gender as individuals and as community, now matter how simple it is, because it was a significant part of Anang, the MC's journey. I also think this is a very important book, especially when I think about what's happening in the west (particularly America) today. Seeing Anang in their ribbon skirt, dancing bravely and living freely at that moment was a scene of trans joy.

Some particular storylines were a bit shifty for me though. Like it could have been more seamless? But maybe that's just me nitpicking? πŸ˜† And this is a middle grade book so I get the fast-paced feeling.

Still, this was very enjoyable and so heartfelt. πŸ₯Ή